Register for winter workshops at Arts Guild New Jersey in Rahway

Registration is open for one-day fall workshops for adults at Arts Guild New Jersey. The Arts Guild will be offering three exciting workshops, two of which will be taught by Newark artist Lisa Conrad: Thermofax Screenprinting on Saturday, Feb. 1, and The Art of Artist Books on Saturday, March 1. The third workshop will be taught by Anne Kullaf: The Art of Pastel on Feb. 1. All three workshops will be held in our studio classroom space on the corner of Easterbrook and Milton Avenues in Rahway at the Senior Center Annex, 125 West Milton Ave.

Additionally, for the first time Arts Guild New Jersey is offering the Six-Hour Art Major seminar taught by Gene Wisniewski. The Six-Hour Art Major, with its tag line “Art School, Condensed,” features mini-versions of Art History and Art Appreciation, hands-on drawing exercises, and a general discussion on developing creativity. “By making yourself into an artist, you get a whole different take on art,” said Wisniewski. “You get to learn what goes into making art, and can develop a better understanding of it.”

Wisniewski has offered versions of his Six-Hour Art Major seminar at prestigious and diverse venues such as the 92nd Street Y, SUNY Purchase, and social club Soho House New York, as well as privately. The two-part course is going to be offered on two consecutive Saturdays, March 1 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (each half) at 125 West Milton Ave., in the Rahway Senior Center ANNEX. The workshop fee is $100 for Arts Guild Members and $125 for non-members.

For more information about these workshops, as well as the regular 8-week art classes, access the online course catalog at agnj.org (Art Classes page) or call 732-381-7511 to request a printed booklet.

To register for workshops access our website (agnj.org) or the call our office at 732-381-7511. Payment for these workshops can be done with a credit card through our website.

The Art of Pastel will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop fee is $85 for Art Guild Members and $95 for non-members. Working with both hard and soft pastels on sanded paper, students will learn basic techniques for layering color in a manner that is spontaneous and expressive. Emphasis will be placed on form, value, proportion, perspective, and color harmony. Students will work from a set up provided by the instructor. To view more images visit: kullaf.wordpress.com. A materials list will be emailed to you after registering for this workshop.

Students looking for a unique class will enjoy Thermofax Screenprinting. This workshop will introduce an alternative screenprinting method using an old machine called Thermofax. These machines, created by 3M, were introduced in the 1950s to create photocopies and transparencies using infrared energy. As the original use became obsolete with the advent of copy machines, tattoo artists and printmakers adopted them for use in their artistry.

Each student will create one unique screenprinting ink and a learn how to print their image using screenprinting ink and a squeegee. Additional screens are available at an additional cost. This workshop will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fee for this workshop is $80 for members and $90 for non-members. Fees include one screen. Students are responsible for additional supplies. Contact Arts Guild New Jersey upon registering for this workshop for a materials list.

The Art of Artist Books will be held on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop fee is $70 for members and $80 for non-members. This one-day workshop will introduce bookbinding as an art form. Students will learn the basics of bookbinding and various formats for creating books, including pamphlet, Japanese stab-binding, and accordion. Monoprinting techniques will also be explored to add the elements of narrative and image to the books. Step-by-step tutorials will accompany each format explored. Beginning and intermediate students are welcome. For a materials list, contact Arts Guild New Jersey upon registering for this workshop.

Lisa Conrad is an artist and trained art educator living and working in Newark. She studied studio arts and art education at Kean University in Union. As an educator, she seeks to create the conditions necessary for authentic artistic engagement through a structured, exploratory, and sensory-based pedagogical approach. As a practicing artist, she has created a multifaceted body of work including ceramics, works on handmade paper, artist books, paintings and prints. Her work references a range of influences, from memory, regeneration, the natural world and the urban environment. To see examples of her work, visit: lisaconradarts.com/.

Anne Kullaf studied graphic design and fine art at the University of Bridgeport in Conn. and at The Art Students League of NY. Her work has been exhibited at the National Arts Club, and was featured in two traveling museum exhibitions. Anne is a faculty member of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, the Hunterdon Museum of Art, and the Center for Contemporary Art. To see examples of her work, visit: kullaf.com

Gene Wisniewski received his art education at the New York Academy of Art, The National Academy of Design, The New School, and L’Ecole Albert Defois in Vihiers, France. He has exhibited in galleries nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He has fourteen years’ experience teaching and lecturing on visual art, and is the author of The Three Big Questions About Art, Answered, being released in 2014.

Workshop space is limited, so early registration is encouraged to ensure enrollment. Call 732-381-7511, email info@agnj.org, or visit agnj.org for more information.

Arts Guild New Jersey is a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts center located in the downtown Arts District in the City of Rahway, with a mission to provide quality arts programs for the benefit of the Northern and Central New Jersey area.

Sponsors of this program include Northfield Bank Foundation and Provident Bank Foundation.